French patent FR 1.537.956 discloses a switch intended for use in relation to control of e.g. a windscreen wiper of a car. FR 1.537.956 provides two sets of valleys each of which set comprises two contact surfaces adjacently positioned and insulated from each other. A valley is formed in each surface, and the valleys are adapted to receive and hold a conducting member (a metallic ball), so that contact is formed, e.g. between two protruding terminals, when the ball connects two conducting surfaces, no contact is formed if one of the surfaces are insulating, thus providing for an on-off switch. The ball is held by a spring inside a pin, so by pushing the pin, the ball may slide from the first set of valleys to the second set of valleys, or vice versa—see FIGS. 1 and 2.
Also an extended on-off switch comprising an inclined surface and a third terminal is disclosed. The inclined surface may be used to provide a brief connection between the two conducting surfaces, so as to for example turn on a windscreen wiper once—see FIG. 3.
FR 1.537.956 may provide three stable positions, wherein the two outer positions may connect two different circuits, having an open circuit in the middle position (see p. 2, col. 2, lines 43-48).
However, FR 1.537.956 does not disclose that the inclined surfaces may be connected to external terminals that can provide a change of a program of an instrument, or provide an adjustment of e.g. a volume.
As mentioned above the use of the switch of FR 1.537.956 is exemplified in relation to controlling a windscreen wiper on a car. There is in FR 1.537.956 no mentioning of the switch being miniature switch applicable of miniature electronic devices. On the contrary, the switch of FR 1.537.956 is a rather bulky and space requiring construction capable of handling high current and voltage levels. Thus, miniaturisation is not an issued and is thus not addressed in FR 1.537.956.